Just another halloween
by ArkhamHarley5150
Summary: The Avengers are assembled to help the Queen of England's favorite Duchess to try and break a recurring curse that seems to be getting worse and worse... Of course, wherever Duchess Harri Potter goes, trouble trails behind her like a loyal puppy. Craziness ensues. FEMharry/Loki (Chapters 1-5 updated 8/17/18)
1. Chapter 1

(Updated; 8/17/2018)

Nick Fury wasn't one for superstitions...

They weren't his cup of tea, and he didn't hold to any of them. He found them foolish, unnecessary, and time-wasting. After meeting the Norse god Thor, and helping to free his mind-controlled brother Loki along with everything else that had dared crossed his path during his years as Director of S.H.E.I.L.D... Well, even he had to admit to himself, that some myths were closer to reality then fiction.

So when he got a very odd call from the Queen of England herself asking for help to fighting a long-running curse on one of her favorite Duchesses, Fury decided to hear her out before dismissing it as nonsense.

After he heard the whole story from beginning to end, he quickly made a decision. All the Avengers, every one, were to report to Avengers tower for a 24-hour mission. No exceptions. He only hoped that he was right, and superstitions weren't real. If he was wrong, hope that there was still some way to stay ahead of this.

* * *

Tony Stark got everything in the tower ready the day before Halloween.

They were hosting three adults and one child for 24-hours... Very high-security. Like, all-of-earth's-mightiest-heroes-on-call, high.

From mid-night to mid-night on Halloween they were to protect a Duchess and her adopted son. Two of her friends were coming with her as well. Kinda like backup. Orders were to keep them all closed off and away from any and all outside baddies until Halloween had passed. He didn't know why yet, they were all going to be briefed on the situation together an hour before the start of the mission.

He had a good hunch that the call from the queen of England herself had a LOT to do with it. Probably everything. He wouldn't put it past a spoiled, age-old duchess used to getting her way to whine to the queen. Or maybe even the boy did the whining. He wouldn't put it pass any person if it meant they got to spend 24+ hours in a room full of heroes. Heck, a dozen people a day tried to break into the tower just to see _one_ of them.

On the other hand the order came from Fury; so it could be legit.

So he had fixed up one of the more fortified levels of the tower. Blocked it off, set up bedrooms, a kitchen, and other living spaces for everyone. He even got enough normal food, Junk food, pop, juice and alcohol to last a week. If the whole team was going to be together for Halloween he was going to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. Spoiled, middle-aged duchess and spawn or not.

When 10 pm hit he started to the lift. To his surprise Natasha and Steve were already inside, also on their way up to the roof. Fully suited up, of course. Tony smirked at them as he stepped in, glad that he decided to go to the meet-and-greet in his normal garb. AKA; a nice pair of pants and a workout shirt.

"Going up?" He commented rhetorically as Black widow and Cap smiled back at him.

"Of course... Wouldn't want to miss the arrival of our honored guest." The widow said with far to pleasant a smile and tone to be real. It was obvious that she thought this was a waste of time, she was still playing nice and going with it. Steve just shrugged.

"It IS a request from the Queen... And an easy mission at that. Just one day, then we'll be done." Steve replied. Tony nodded.

"And I stocked us up with enough Pop, Booze, and food to feed an army. Or, well, all of us. Once we lock down the floor, we can have ourselves a Halloween party to end all Halloween parties, then sleep it off the rest of the day."

Steve looked offended at the idea of having a party while on duty. Natasha just raised a questioning eyebrow.

"When was the last time we all got together? Outside of missions, that is. And I mean ALL of us. Not just little groups, or just hanging out at the tower."

Natasha shrugged her head to the side. "You're right, it's been a while."

"Of course it has. So let's use this time and make the most of it! Our very own _Heroes-only_ Halloween party." Tony said with a roguish smile and wink. Even Cap smiled back.

* * *

Clint posted himself on the top of the left landing pad tower a while ago, standing guard with eyes on everything when the lift reached the top. Steve and Natasha were discussing guard shifts and rotations by the lift doors. Tony watched the S.H.E.I.L.D Helicopter approach the roof. Slowly and meticulously, it landed. 10:15, on the dot. Just as planned. The doors of the chopper opened, and Agent Hill and Fury jumped out. When Agent Fury offered out his hand, a pale, delicate hand from inside the chopper took it. The woman graceful jumped out of the chopper with a smiling four-year-old beaming with happiness on her hip.

Whatever Tony had been expecting from a meeting with a wrinkled age-old Duchess was now thrown out the window. This girl could be no older than 18. Her suspicious and wide green eyes were alert and watching everything. Her dark, pitch-black hair was pulled back into a french twist, with a butterfly hatpin holding it in place. She had a black London Fog coat with matching black leggings on. On her feet was a pair of Running shoes instead of heels or flats. She looked like a woman at least semi-prepared for a fight.

She carried only one overnight bag, slung over her shoulder. Her little Boy, ironically enough, had a backpack with Batman on it. They carried nothing else with them. The only peace of jewelry she even had on was what Tony guessed to be a family Signet ring, and for a duchess, that was nearly unheard of. Something about her overall appearance, worry and seriousness on her face made them all quickly second guess themselves.

Agent Hill then helped two other women out of the helicopter. One had long red hair and soft freckles. The other with short honey brown hair cut into a classy bob with a rather intelligent air about her. The Duchess and Fury waited for the others to catch up, then they all made their way from the landing pad towards the lift together.

Captain and Tony quickly their backs a bit straighter as they approached, and Natasha gave the little boy a friendly wink that sent him into giggles. Fury took over after that.

"Everyone; I would like to introduce you to our guests." He pointed and started from the left. "This is Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Lord Theodore Lupin, Her Grace, The Duchess of Avalor... Hyacinth Potter."

"Flowerpot?" Tony burst before he could stop himself. Steve openly winced. You could clearly hear Clint burst into laughter from his self-made metal birds-nest. Hermione and Ginny glared, as little Theodore's mouth dropped open into a little O with matching wide eyes.

"Sorry, Duchess, Sorry... It's just... Your name _LITERALLY_ means Flower Pot." Tony Stark explained.

The Duchess, highly amused, just held out her hand anyway.

"Yes, it does... But you can call me Harri. Harri Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

(Updated; 9/17/2018)

The Duchess shook Tony's hand as Fury glared holes at his head. The two men had never gotten along well, and Ironman wasn't helping his case any. Hyacinth didn't take any offense, thank goodness, it could of easily gone the other way. Fury felt he needed to have another talk with him about his attitude. But considering how well the last few talks went, he figured he might as well not waste his breath. Instead, Fury continued with the introductions.

"The highly rude gentleman before you is Tony Stark. Also known as Ironman. Behind him is Steve Rogers; Captain America. Next to Rogers is Natasha Romanoff; The Black Widow." Fury then pointed to the metal bird's nest in the high counter of the tower. "Clint Barton, or Hawkeye would be our current eyes in the sky. He'll be down before me and Agent Hill leave. An hour or so before lockdown."

The Duchess nodded as Black Widow blinked slightly in surprise.

"Hill isn't staying on Lockdown?" Natasha asked. Fury shook his head.

"No... She and I may be needed. Also, we can't be gone for 24 hours without raising questions, in case something comes up. I've already contacted Agent 13. She'll be your point of contact."

Steve's eyes seemed to get brighter at those words. "13? Sharon? Sharon Carter?" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes. One in the same. She'll be here for the briefing. Is everybody else already here?" He asked, looking right at Tony.

Tony turned his neck and looked towards the control panel on the lift.

"JARVIS?..." He mumbled lazily.

"Thor still isn't here yet, Sir, but there is still plenty of time for him arrive. Doctor Banner And Rodney Rhodes are on the lock-down floor already. The other _Avengers_ are currently with you on the roof." Jarvis replied from the speaker.

That was all Fury needed to hear before he motioned with his hand to the elevator. It was time to head down.

Steve and Natasha turned at the same time and Captain hit the lift button. When it opened they were the first to walk in. Cap stationed himself at the back left side as Natasha took the back right, facing away from the corner so they could see everyone else in the lift. Fury escorted the Duchess and Teddy in next. The Little boy seemed ready to burst with excitement but was controlling himself very well. Ginny and Hermione filed in next. They took the front left and front right corners of the elevators, mirroring Steve and Natasha, much to there surprise. All four corners were now guarded.

Tony, of course, just squeezed himself in last, and stood right in the middle of everybody. Agent Hill gave a small wave as the elevator doors began to close, Then turned heel the other way. Seemingly to go have a conversation with Barton.

"Lock-down; Floor 37." Tony ordered. The lift began its's descent. Tony then turned to the Duchess and started a monologue.

"I picked level 37 because it's one of the more stable and re-enforced levels, inside and out... Metal, concrete, steel beams. The whole works. I covered and secured all the windows, so no one is going to be seeing in or out of it. I also blocked and shut off every exit but the elevator we're on now and two emergency exits. I triple secured those, just in case. It just got completed today, but it's more than ready to go."

"No surveillance or outside connections of any kind, correct?" Fury demanded. "No cameras, no audio, and _NO JARVIS?..."_

"Just like you asked... A single screen on the wall to the outside cameras. Nothing else." Tony said, crossing his arms. "What? Don't trust me?..."

The _'Hell no'_ was implied from the glare Fury sent Tony afterward. Fury then looked to Natasha.

"Already swept for any bugs... It's 100% clear. I checked the emergency exits, as well. Not a fan of them, but a second and third exit is always good. As soon as the doors close behind us, It will be secure." She reported without even having to be asked.

Hyacinth and Fury both nodded in approval as Teddy continued looked over his mother's shoulder. Smiling warmly at Captain America. It was obvious from the light in the boy's eyes he was a little bit star struck. He waved shyly at Steve and mumbled a high-pitched, English-tinted "Ello!" at him.

Steve couldn't help but smile back despite the twinge of pain in his chest. At one point a long time ago, He had dreamed of having a little boy with Peggy. He could only wonder if that boy would of had a hint of an English accent as well... But that past was long gone now. That was no longer an option for him. Still, he had to admit Teddy really was one of the cutest kids he had ever seen.

"Why, Hello there," Steve said brightly, as Teddy nearly burst into another fit of giggles and hid his face shyly in his mother's shoulder. The Duchess smiled brightly at him, as she straightened the beanie hat that Teddy had covering his whole head with her free hand.

"Sorry about that... He's just a tad bit excited, aren't you?" Hyacinth cooed fondly as Teddy giggled more, popped his head away from his mother's shoulder just long enough to look at Tony, Then immediately dissolved back into gigging. Hermione rolled her eyes fondly as Ginny chuckled in return.

The elevator stopped at the 37th floor. It gave a soft chime as the door opened. Ginny and Hermione exited first. Fury, Tony, and Hyacinth exited after, Steve and Natasha followed at their backs. Bruce Banner and Rodney (who were reading what looked like a pamphlet and sitting at the large dinner table) turned their attention to the new arrivals. Bruce took off his glasses. Rodney gave them a sideways smile.

Tony introduced them quickly with a "Bruce, Rodney... Duchess. Duchess... Bruce and Rodney." Then moved to sit next to them at the large table.

Fury then looked at the lift door, as if waiting... The second the lift doors shut completely he turned to Hermione and Ginny.

"Check for Bugs. All the bags. _NOW."_

Instantly the Duchess and her two friends quickly gathered together in a circle. They took their own bags off their shoulders and started ransacking through them. Taking out every little thing that was in them while using their bodies to block view and keep cover. Natasha and Steve looked at one another as the final alarm bell went off in the back of their minds. Their fear was confirmed. This was no joke or fake mission. This was a serious, and more than likely dangerous.

Fury looked back to the Avengers as he let the girls go through their things.

"It's just about 10:20 P.M. now. The mission briefing will be at 11:00 pm. Lockdown will begin at midnight on the dot and last until midnight the next day. Have everything you need for the next 26 hours in your rooms on this floor before 10:59. No cell phones, no laptops, not even the internet. Nothing that can link you guys to the outside world at all. Tony, bring in two iron suits, and two iron suits only. Don't turn them on unless you have to... If Thor isn't here by 11:59, he's out of luck. Lockdown will proceed without him. Because you wouldn't just be going on lockdown for 24 hours... You'll be going black."

"What? Why?!" Tony protested.

"You'll find out at the briefing at 11, Stark. Just make sure you're all ready to go before then."


	3. Chapter 3

(updated 9/17/2018)

OK! I had a request for pairings for this story. While I won't pair up every single one of the Avengers, I would like to see the girls paired up with someone.

So far I'm leaning towards our Duchess falling for the Asgardian prince, Loki. This is still open for debate.

Another open idea is Hermione/Ron, or Hermione/Other. I am pretty open on this subject, too. I've written Ron/Hermione forever, I wouldn't mind passing on it for this story. Maybe Hermione/Bruce Banner?

Also, Ginny/Anyone. She's single, and options are open.

The pairs I am already leaning toward are;

Tony/Pepper (DUH!)

Captain America/Sharon Carter (Agent 13).

Thor/His lady Jane.

Clint Barton/Laura Barton (His wife, second movie.) OR Barbara "Bobbi" Morse (AKA; Mockingbird/Agent 17 from comics.)

There will not be Clint/Natasha, so maybe Natasha/Bruce Banner?...

Let me know!

* * *

The three witches checked their bags and every item inside of them. They made sure to gather in a circle beforehand, so the items wouldn't be seen and they could get through it all as quickly and efficiently as possible.

They had checked for bugs and tracking charms before leaving England, but that was over 8 hours ago. Since then they had traveled through two muggle airports, been driven around New York a bit, taken a visitor-safe tour of the local shield headquarters, and then were air-lifted here. Needless to say, it was time to check again. Just in case.

Fury addressed the Avengers as the girls tried quickly to wrap things up. Hyacinth, or Harri, didn't know if it was a diversion tactic for their benefit, or Fury just being Fury. But she was grateful for the distraction none the less. They had brought very few things with them, and the scans were quick. Before long, Hermione gave a soft, 'Clear.' Ginny gave another 'Clear' a moment later.

Hyacinth was going through Teddy's bag now. Trying to juggle the tasks as she kept Teddy safe on her hip. Right after all of his toys, even the little Lego men, started glowing a pretty purple color she gave a sigh of relief.

"All Clear." She said as she closed up her bag and immediately looked at Teddy.

"Alright, Cub. It's past Ten o'clock. Time for bed."

Teddy gasped as he looked shocked and scandalized.

"WUT?! Mummy, _NOooo!_ We jus' got 'er!" He protested as his eyes got very sad very quickly. Harri sighed and got her 'Mum face' on, as she readied herself for a fight against the Puppy-eyes.

"Teddy... NO. Not tonight. The only reason I let you even stay up this long is that we were traveling. It is _far_ beyond your bedtime, and you didn't even nap on the plane. You are going to bed, you understand me?..."

"But... But... _MUMMY!"_ Teddy cried, looking back and forth to all of the Avengers and his mummy, pitiful eyes shining full force. It was fairly obvious that he didn't want anything to do with going to bed. Not when he could be spending time with the Avengers instead. Harri realized that he was getting far too excited and over-stimulated to be able to rest well. She had to get him to bed soon, or he'd be a cranky mess in the morning. The duchess sighed as she tried to think of the best way to avoid a Teddy tantrum.

Suddenly an idea came to her. It was a little bit of a lie mixed with a little bit of bribery, but she was sure it would work. She decided to give it a try.

"Tell you what... If you go to bed right now me, your aunties, the Avengers, and I will all come will ALL come in and check up on you during the night... All right?"

Teddy's mood changed immediately.

"REALLY?! Really, really?!" He said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes, really... But you have to go to bed right away. Understood?"

"Ok, Mummy... I will. I promise." He said as he nodded furiously. Harri nodded back with a smile. She saw Natasha smirking at her on the side of her vision and knew at least one of then got the trick she pulled. They were all going to be checking in on Teddy the entire night during their shifts anyway.

This just made it easier to talk him into going to bed.

"There's my good lad!" She praised as she picked up both their bags. "His bedroom is the middle blue room, right over there," Tony said as he pointed it out to her. Harry took that moment to actually look at the floor they were on. The floor they were going to spend the next 26 hours or so in.

It was a wide-open floor area with large, sturdy pillars every 20 feet or so, with box-like rooms along all the walls. There were two long rows of what she assumed where bedrooms down the entire left and right side. Rooms that were color-coded and lit up with different color LED lights instead of being painted different colors. There were two lights to every door, one on each side. The back wall had two very big rooms that were obviously a dining room and kitchen area with what looked like a full bar. Next to that, a workout room that was even bigger than a normal apartment.

But the most impressive part was the center area.

There was a large rec-room-like space right in the center of the floor.. With EVERYTHING you could ever hope to have in a rec room. Sofas, T.V's and Movies, Dvd rack, pillows, a game table with tons of games under it, video game consoles with a four-screen multi-player set up. It was huge, shiny, and amazing. Harri looked shocked and Tony looked quite proud of himself. The rest of the team also took the room different amounts of glee and excitement. Except for Natasha, who had seen it earlier and Bruce and Rhodes, who helped put it together.

Ginny nearly squealed with joy, as she raced over to one of the sofas.

"All right team, make yourselves at home!" Tony said, with a wave of his arms. The mish-mash group of heroes needed no more prompting than that.

* * *

The Duchess went to the middle room with the blue lights. It was on the row on the left. She opened it and walked into a clean, tiny room. It had a small writing desk, twin bed, dresser drawer and a nightstand with a single lamp. The bed was a bit bigger then she would have liked for her 4-year-old, but it was more than fine.

She helped Teddy get ready for bed and change into his pajamas as he rambled on and on about how awesome everyone was and how happy he was to be here. Harri couldn't help but smile at her little cub. She had explained how dangerous the situation they were in was, as much as she could.. But from the looks of it, Teddy didn't mind or care at all. To him, there was no safer place to be when where he was right now. With his Mommy and Aunties, surrounded by the Avengers as the backup.

"To'morow, can we play games?" Teddy asked as he jumped as high as he could and crawled into his new twin bed. It was more than a bit too big for the 4-year-old. Harri couldn't help but chuckle at how cute her boy looked in the over-sized bed.

"Sure we can, Luv... We'll have the whole day to ourselves. It will be quite boring if we don't play something, don't you think?" She said as she pulled the covers around him and tucked him in.

"I mean with the Avengers, too! Steve and Tony, maybe? You thi'k they'll wan ta play with me?..." Harri froze for a moment, as she thought over his words. Steve might be cool with it, but from what she knew about Tony, he wasn't very kid friendly and more than a bit cruel at times... either way she couldn't say yes or no for other people and didn't want to make promises or create expectations she couldn't keep.

"Well... maybe. But Teddy, I can't speak for them. You'll have to ask them in the morning if they want to, all right?.." She'd probably have to warn them both ahead of time, lest they could let Teddy down gently if the answer was no. If not, they could work something out or claim that they were too busy... She hoped they would say yes, and behave, though. For Teddy's sake if no one else's. But apart of her knew they were adults, and had a mission to do. A Mission to protect _them_. She didn't want them to be distracted, or worse, annoyed at them...

"I will, Mummy. Night!" The toddler said with a yawn. Harri smiled and took his beanie off his head, revealing the colorful tuff of electric blue hair. She put the beanie on the nightstand, then kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Teddy-bear."

"Will you stay with me 'til I fall asleep?..." Teddy asked just before she started to get up to leave. Harri nodded, as she brushed his messy hair back with her hand.

"Sure thing, Sweetie.. Would you like a Lullaby, too?..." Teddy nodded, and curled onto his side so he could lay down and still look at his mummy. Harri sat down at the edge of the bed, still brushing his hair with her hand. After she was sure they were both comfortable, she starting singing.

 _"Rest, little one, peace awaits you;_

 _Guardian angels; will protect you._

 _Rest with no worries, my little one._

 _While they keep watch; no dangers come._

 _All through the night._

 _All through the night..._

 _They will keep watch, love,_

 _All through the night..._

 _Your sweet drow~sy, eyes are closing;_

 _Ov' Hill and Dale, slumber is calling._

 _I, my loved ones, watch I will keep,_

 _Guarding, defending, whi~le you sleep._

 _All through the night._

 _All through the night..._

 _I will keep watch, love,_

 _All through the night..._

 _Fairies and dragons, fly all around you;_

 _As moonlight beams, shine down upon you..._

 _They give you sweet dreams, till morning comes._

 _Don't wake, you're safe, The battle's been won._

 _All through the night._

 _All through the night..._

 _We will keep watch, love,_

 _All through the night..."_

* * *

Natasha and Steve stood outside the closed door, both frowning as they listened to the Lullaby.

It was soft and sweet... But the message was troubling. Natasha looked at Steve as he crossed his arms and sighed.

"I had a feeling there is way more to this than we first thought." Steve started. The Black widow nodded back.

"I got that feeling, too. Should have realized sooner... They _did_ call all of us in on the same night, _and_ the orders came from way high up. We just assumed it was a babysitting gig. We got the memo, but we didn't read the signs..." She commented, as she stepped closer and whispered.

"Something big is going on here. None of this is feeling right. They are all on high alert, scared and jumpy... All three of them. Fury seems fine, but Hill looks like she's waiting for the shoe to drop... That might be why she wanted to talk to Clint alone. something feels wrong here, Cap. This is serious. I have a notion if things go south, they are going to go south _quick_."

Cap and Natasha looked at one another for a moment, neither one breaking their stare as they realized they both caught wind of the same thing. Steve nodded solemnly.

"You're not wrong..." Was the only thing he said before he shook his head clear.

"We got a little over half an hour before the briefing. Then we can finally find out what the heck is really going on... Let's use the time wisely. Double up on weapons, Triple up on Ammo. Prep everything you can. Anything even semi-useful that you carry; Bring it back here."

Natasha nodded in confirmation. "I'll start in R&D. Stark always has a few new toys laying around."

"I'll start in the locked armory. Meet back here in half an hour."

With that, the two both headed to the elevator. Whatever was going to come there way, they sure as hell were going to be ready for it.


	4. Chapter 4

(updated 8/17/18)

Duchess kept her promise. She stayed with Teddy until he fell asleep. She stayed a bit afterward, as well. It wasn't until the clock on the nightstand said 10:55 that she finally tore herself away. She exited the blue bedroom and headed to the large meeting table in the front of the rec room. Luckily everyone else seemed to be gathering there as well.

There were two Iron suits, one Ironman model, and one war machine model, stationed outside a red and purple room. Everyone who was finishing unpacking were already sitting at the table. Ginny was in a lively mood playing a PlayStation 4 game, and Hermione seemed to be in a deep conversation with Doctor Bruce Banner, who looked more than happy to be having a good chat while not being judged. Harri still winced when the words 'Gamma" and "radiation" were tossed around.

She may have to reign in Hermione's curiosity later before she got herself in trouble... again.

Harri then turned her interest away from her old friend to the two new people in the room.

The first was a semi-tall man with military cut blondish hair and a bow and arrow that seemed to be permanently attached to him. Harri guessed this was Hawkeye. She hadn't really seen him outside his post before. The next was a girl with long blonde hair, an angelic face, and absolutely lovely sky-blue eyes. But she was also armed with two guns, a bulletproof vest, a utility belt, and an entire stack of SHEILD files in her arms. The Duchess assumed this was Agent 13. The fact that Captain America seemed to have gravitated to her and they they were talking softly to one another was more than enough for her to confirm it.

Still, she nodded in welcome and smiled kindly at her, so Harri smiled and nodded back. It was then that she saw Fury post himself at the head of the table, as he stood up to gather everyone's attention.

"All right... Is everyone accounted for now?" He asked as Agent Hill shook her head.

"Thor still hasn't arrived, Sir, and Tony..." Hill started but was cut off.

"HERE! I'm here, just in the kitchen!" Tony yelled as he walked out of said kitchen area, with a half-empty convince store bag in his hand.

"Sorry... Had to get the kiddo some snacks, apple juice, grape juice, more candy... Got a bunch of other edibles with cartoon characters on it, just in case.." Tony said as he looked at Harri.

"My apologies, Flower Pot. Didn't know he was gonna be a little-little guy. Hadn't planned for that one... I don't really know what kids like, but this should tide him over for now."

"Thank you very much," Harri said in a surprised but grateful tone. She hadn't expected him to do something that nice that for them. Tony just smirked back and winked.

"No problem, Duchess." Turning his attention back to the meeting.

Fury just shook his head and continued.

"As stated before, Thor has until 11:59 to arrive... But since everyone else is here now, unpacked and ready for the mission, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't get this briefing started."

Everyone nodded and started taking their seats. Steve pulled agent 13's chair for her, then sat next to her. Hermione stayed in her seat next to Bruce's. Tony sat by Rhodes again, and Natasha and Clint sat at the end of the table together, where they could see everyone. Fury stayed standing, and since there were no more seats, Harri just walked over and stood next to him. Ginny paused the game she was playing and walked over, deciding to stand flank behind Harri. She was the last person to find a spot.

"All right, Avengers. Mission briefing; Oct 31rst, 2016... Mission Code; Black. Priority; High. Clearance level; 10."

She heard half of the people at the table suck in air or gasp. "Mission objective; Protect the Duchess Hyacinth and her charge, Lord Theodore Lupin. Keep them from being kidnapped and out enemy hands for the next 24 hours, at all costs. Kill on sight permission granted."

Some shocked and worried looks appeared on the faces of nearly everyone in the room. A few more determined looks appeared on the faces of the others.

After that, Fury made a motion to Agent 13. She quickly started passing out the files in her hand. One file for everyone in the room, save Fury, Hill, and Harri and the two girls that came in with her.

"You have all been granted permission and given clearance to be let in on an International secret... One that very few outsides of high government officials are allowed to know. This clearance comes with a hefty need for silence and responsibility.. So after you're told, after you know; NO ONE else is to be told. This stays with the people in this room, and can ONLY be discussed with the people in this room. The first page on the top of your files is a non-discourser form. A Very air-tight one. Read it, and sign it. If you don't want to sign it, you don't stay on this floor for the briefing. We will post you outside the lock-down floor as a guard for the remainder of the mission, or you will be free to go. Sign it, and you'll be filled in. You will not be allowed to speak of it to any other teams members that don't sign or anyone else for that matter. That INCLUDES Miss Potts, Stark."

Fury said as Tony opened his mouth to remark. He snapped his jaw shut with a snap and the two glared at one another.

"Read and sign now. You won't be penalized for not signing, but you will NOT ask at a later date, or ask another avenger later. This is your one and only chance. _Choose wisely_."

 _Dramatic much?..._ Harri thought to herself but bit her tongue. She did NOT want to get on Fury's bad side.

The first one to sign it was Steve, who barely looked at it before signing. Agent 13 was right after, though Harri assumed she had already read the pages before. The other Avengers followed. The last two being Natasha, who looked like she had read in a 3rd time just to be safe, and Tony, who looked like he was reading it a 3rd time in order to find any loophole that he could. When it looked like he was about to read it a 4th time, Bruce spoke up.

"Come on, Tony... Be reasonable. It's just like the gag order you have all of your R&D people sign before starting, and you know if you that if you don't find out what this big secret is, you'll drive yourself nuts over it for the rest of your life... Just sign it."

Tony sighed and notarized it with a glare. After that everyone passed the files to Agent 13. She double checked them then handed them over to Hill. Hill put them in a silver carry-case and locked them.

"So... Who's the enemy?" Rodney Rhodes asked. It was an obvious attempt to get the briefing back on track.

Fury turned to Harri and crossed his arms as he took a step back. She had a feeling she knew what was about to happened next.

"Well, Duchess. Would you like to do the honors?"

 _Called it..._ She thought sarcastically as she turned and face the table of people. People who were now looking at her very attentively. She sighed inwardly as Hermione gave her a soft sympathetic smile. _All right._ She thought as she took in a deep breath of air and turned to face everyone at the table. Everyone who was now looking at her with rapid interest. _Quick and swift, like pulling off a Band-Aid... Quick and swift._

"Necromancers." She declared, her voice stable and unwavering. Leaving no room for doubt. "The enemy is a rather large group of Necromancers."


	5. Chapter 5

"Necromancers." The Black-haired Duchess stated. Her voice was even, and she showed no hints of lying. No looking down, twitching, or shrinking.

"The enemy is a rather large group of Necromancers."

Stark's eyes widened as his mouth dropped from what Flower-pot just said. He turned his head and immediately looked to Bruce and Rhodes. They both turned to look to him with the same amount of surprise and disbelief in their eyes. Tony realized instantly they where looking to him for some kind of confirmation or rejection, just as he was looking to them for the same thing. A yes or no. A 'They're Crazy!' or 'That's Amazing!' Some word to let the others know if what she said was real or not.

Nether him, Banner, nor Rhodes had answers; and if there was one thing Tony didn't like it was not having answers.

"Necromancers?... As in, Real necromancers? Corpse-raising, zombie-making, graveyard-creeping people?... They're real?" He blurted before his brain had a chance to catch up with his mouth. Captain, however, started looking at Hyacinth and the three girls with new eyes. You could almost see the gears turning in his head as he started looking at them in turn, one by one.

Everyone else in the room seemed to quiet as well. All awaiting an answer. The duchess just sighed, and looked to her companion with short brown hair, Hermione. She offered Harri another smile and a 'go on' head nudge.

"Yes. You see; Necromancers, Wizards, Hags, Mystics.. Magic-users and Magic, in whatever way you would call it, is very real."

"You've... You've got to be KIDDING." Rhodes stated loudly, But his voice was already wavering. He immediately turned to the director. "I mean... Director Fury! You can't seriously expect us to believe that."

"I assure you; We are not joking at all." Hermione began harshly from beside Bruce. Obviously Rodney had pressed her temper button hard. "This is no laughing matter. NOT to us. Magic is real. There are necromancers out there on the hunt for Hyacinth and Teddy as we speak. Necromancers that will doing anything to get to her... and would prefer all of us in this room DEAD..."

"Because IF you're dead; then they can raise you back up. Then you will work for THEM. Weather you want to or not.."

Silence and shock filled the whole room. Bruce himself paled to a paper-white and looked utterly terrified. The thought of a Un-dead Hulk under someone's control he never accrued to him. Now that it was in his mind, he would have a hard time getting out, Could he turn into the hulk f he was dead? Would the Hulk listen to them? He barely listened to Tony and Bruce! Steve, Maybe, but that was another matter. Hulk liked Steve. Most worryingly, what if the Necromancers could actually kill him and the hulk?

Because that was a big 'IF'.

"See?" Hermione snapped harshly. "NOT a joking matter."

"MIONE!" Ginny gasped as Hyacinth growled harshly. _"THAT'S ENOUGH!"_

Hermione closed her jaw tight. She crossed her arms, and glared at Rhodes. Who was looking just as terrified as Hermione wanted him to be.

Hyacinth and Hermione locked glares as Ginny mumbled out deep apologies to everyone, giving everyone a few minutes to calm and gather there thoughts. After a few moments the tension in the room went down to a more comfortable level. Hyacinth then turned her attention back to the other heroes in the room silently dismissing Hermione.

"Getting back on track... Magic and Necromancers are real. There is a group from the United Kingdom that have been coming after me repeatedly over the past year and a half. They call themselves 'The Gatekeepers'. They believe themselves to be the sole gaurdians of the gate between the land of the living and the land of the dead... They need me so they can complete a ritual they have found or created, and have been trying to cast for a little over a year. What kind of ritual ot may be and what it does, we are not 100% sure. We don't currently have any spies in their group, and knowledge on Necromancy is rather hard to come by. We have, However, narrowed it down to three type of rituals that they are most likely to use."

"The first type; a ritual that will kill large chunk of population at once. Second type; A Ritual that will raise an epic army of undead, all under one person's control. Then lastly; the third type. A rare ritual that will release an unstoppable plague-like disease... Think smallpox mixed with the common cold, then double the casualties."

Clint's colorful cursing filled the air as Steve and Natasha's eyes meet. Steve's was wide with panic and disbelief while Natasha's were sharp and stoned. Tony turned and started talking vacations with Banner right away, Rhodes and Clint then took to discussions of how best to defend the Tower and New York... Soon the Volume in the room had rose higher then the tension that was hanging in the room.

"ALRIGHT!" Fury's voice blasted. Some jumped, Some froze, but everyone stopped talking and turned to him.

"Yes, this is a lot to take in, and the risk is high. But right now there is only one thing we need to do; ONE THING we need to concentrate on."

After Proclaiming this, Fury pointed his Finger at the Duchess and stated one word. "HER."

At that, Tony scoffed, but was smacked on the back of the head by Rhodes.

"We can make a Cure for a Illness that doesn't even exist yet... We can't protect the population from a spell that hasn't even been cast yet... We can't plan for a attack from the un-dead, because people, From blue-collar to people with desks at the white house, will believe it's possible, let alone take it seriously. THIS is why i agreed with the Queen that YOU had to be the ones to help head this of. YOU had to be the ones to Guard her..."

"Because they need HER in order to pull any of those Psycho plans off... We keep her safe for the next 24 hours; Nothing happens. We go home. The world stays safe."

"Shouldn't she and her boy be under 24 hour protection Anyway?" Natasha asked. "If they want to pull this off, they aren't just going to stop after today... Shouldn't she have a Full-time Guard?..."

"Not necessary." Ginny said with a smile. "You see; One of the most Magical things about Halloween is that is it not only a Powerful day for darker magic; But it's the day the veil between the world the the dead and the world of the living in the thinnest... It's also the only day of the year that any of these rituals can be performed successfully... The long and short of it is this: If the ritual doesn't happen between Midnight to Midnight on Halloween; It doesn't happen at all."

"So... Next question... And i'm not trying to be rude, but... Why her?" Tony said, not even trying to be tactful. "I mean, Why do they specifically need our Flower pot here? Why Wouldn't any other 18-year-old girl do?"

"It's because you're a witch, isn't it?..." Steve Rodgers blurted out. Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and as many looked at Hyacinth now with fear and distrust in their eyes, the Girls all looked at Steve with a mix of shock and respect shining in their eyes. Steve, of course, just kept on fumbling with his next few words.

"I mean,.. You girls are all witches... right?..."


End file.
